Azul
by heydelenas
Summary: Elena is a normal high school girl, well at least she thinks so, until she finds out she's a mermaid princess whose life has been threatened ever since she was born. While she and her family fight the dangers that can end her life she falls in love with a boy named Damon in the process. Rated M for language and sexual content.
1. Elena

**A/N: Hello, guys :) This is my first fanfiction, I've been wanting to post this for a while but I haven't had much free time lately. I will try to update every two or three weeks. I go to dental school, so it takes a lot of time, but I promise it won't take months for me to update this story. If it does, I will post an author's note about it :) I'm a bit insecure about this story, so I hope you like it and leave a review if you could, please :) thank you in advance, xo Clara**

**PS: I only own this plot. The Vampire Diaries and all of its characters belong to L.J. Smith and the writers of the TV show.**

ELENA

_I'm underwater. Everything's so beautiful here, in this big blue world. It's like all of my problems have disappeared and I feel like I'm home as I swim up to a huge castle… under the sea? What the- I look down at my legs and I notice I have none. My two legs have morphed into some sort of fish tail. Have I entered some little mermaid movie or- What the fuck is happening? There's something approaching me. Not something, someone, and she looks exactly like me. Can someone please tell me what's going on because I don't recall ever having a twin. The girl hugs me and I feel the need to hug her too. Have I met this girl before? I clearly haven't. Something else is coming our way and it's hu- shit! It's some kind of sea monster and it looks murderous. We try to run but the creature catches the girl who's probably my twin and I start sobbing. I'm sad and terrified; I can't even see where I'm going, I just know I need to get out of here. However, the monster catches me by the tail and I know I'm going to die soon. The last thing that comes to my head before everything goes black is "I hope this is just a nightmare."_

I woke up gasping. _Thank God it wasn't real_. It felt so real though, and I have dreamt about it before. _Don't be stupid Elena, mermaids do not exist, you can't breathe underwater and you certainly don't have a twin sister_. Even though a part of my mind was telling me to stop being in denial, I went back to sleep and just wished I wouldn't dream about this again.

- Elena. Elena wake up, you're going to be late for school. ELENA!

- Mm… WHAT? Oh my God mom you startled me!

- Well that was the only way I could wake you up. I almost thought you had slipped into some sort of coma. – My mom joked. I love her so much. We've always been close and I can tell her anything. I don't even see her as a mom, it's more like she's my best friend. Remind me to never tell Caroline about that, she might get jealous. Caroline is one of my best friends along with Bonnie, we've known each other since the sandbox. The three of us are cheerleaders at Mystic Falls high. Mystic Falls is a very small town in the coast of Virginia. Nothing ever happens here, but I like the town. Everybody is nice to everyone and we have town gatherings every weekend. It's kind of ridiculous, but I like it. - now get up and start dressing yourself, you're gonna be late again. Go, go!

- Okay mom, okay, jeez. – My mom can be so much like Caroline sometimes. All neurotic and perfectionist, but I think that's why I love Care so much.

I took a shower, got ready and then I went downstairs to have breakfast, when I was done, I brushed my teeth and told my mom I was leaving.

- Okay sweetie, drive safe, I love you.

- JEREMY! If you want a ride you better be downstairs in 10 seconds! – I shouted.

- Coming! Shit Elena, you don't have to be so loud this early in the morning. – My brother, Jeremy complained. He's 15, two years younger than me. He can be terribly annoying at times, but I love him. Who doesn't love their own brother?

- Hey, watch your language little man. – Mom said, chastising him. Jer rolled his eyes – And don't roll your eyes at me! Now come here and give mommy a kiss. – Mom said lovingly.

- Mom, I'm fifteen!

- Son, I don't care!

- Ugh, okay – Jeremy kissed her on the cheek – now I have to go. Love you!

We left and when we got to school I was quickly intercepted by a serious looking Bonnie. Bonnie, my other best friend, quieter and shyer than me and Caroline. She's a really loyal friend and I love her like a sister.

- Hey Lena, I really need to talk to you. – she said in a worried tone.

- Okay, about what?

- About something I can't really tell you in public. – She dragged me to an empty classroom nearby. – Remember when I told you I could make some strange things happen?

- Yeah…

- Yeah, well, my grams told me yesterday that we come from a lineage of witches, and we can make things happen by using the forces of nature. At first I thought she was getting old and crazy, but then I remembered all the strange things that happened and tried to do some things yesterday and… - She raised a hand and my notebook started floating in the air. My jaw dropped. Okay, what the fuck? Did my friend just turn into Sabrina the teenage witch? – So… Don't you have anything to say? I really hope you don't think I'm a freak or something.

I then realized I was frozen, probably looking like I was scared of her.

- Um… no! Oh my God, sorry Bon, I'm just really fascinated, that's all. This is amazing!

- Thanks Len. And there's something else I wanted to talk about with you. I can sense the supernatural when I touch them.

- Supernatural? - I asked skeptically.

- Yes, there are a lot of supernatural creatures in the world, such as witches, vampires, werewolves, hybrids, doppelgangers, travelers...

- Whoa. That's a lot of information. What else is real? Aliens?- I joked.

- After all that I've learned, everything is possible. – She laughed. – Anyway, I feel something strange every time I touch you, like you're some kind of supernatural creature too. Not a bad feeling though. I just feel an odd sensation that's all.

Whoa. That was uncalled for. I can accept the fact that Bonnie is a witch, but I've never done anything extraordinary in my life. At least not that I know of.

- Bon, are you sure Grams is okay? I mean, like you said, she is getting old and maybe you're imagining stuff because of what she said…

- I know very well what I felt and what I still feel every time I touch you. I know this is a lot of information Len, believe me, I do, I'm only telling you this because the supernatural world may be filled with beauty and mystery, but it's also very dangerous. So I just want to tell you that you should be careful. – Bonnie said.

- Um, okay… So are we going to class or…

- Yeah we are, let's go.

I took her hand and dragged her out of the room and through the hallway, thinking about what she had just said. Am I really supernatural? Is she crazy? Is her grandmother crazy? Are we all crazy? Suddenly, Bonnie stopped and yelped.

- Are you okay?

- No! You just shocked me!

- What? – I laughed – People don't shock other people, Bonnie.

- Uh, yeah, I'm sure I'm just confused. – She waved off. – Let's get to class.

- So, class. Does anybody know the reason why this town is called Mystic Falls? – Mr. Tanner, the ever grouchy history teacher who is also coach of the football team asked the class. Too bad no one has ever cared enough to search on Google why our town had that name. I know I didn't. – Anyone? Okay. Since I'm dealing with a bunch of illiterates, I'm going to answer this one for you. – Gosh, his life must suck.

- Well, we may be 'illiterates' but at least we're not bitter. – A voice coming from the back of the class pointed out, making half the class snicker. The other half just gasped, shocked at the boldness.

- Oh, Mr. Salvatore, I was just wondering when you would decide to make your presence known. You usually don't take this long to get detention. – Mr. Tanner said to the owner of the voice, who was none other than Damon Salvatore, the school's 'hottest bad boy' who simply scoffed.

Okay, I may have forgotten to mention that besides Caroline and Bonnie, there's Tyler Lockwood, the mayor's son, who dated Hayley Marshall, also a member of the gang. There's also Matt Donovan, the blue-eyed sweetheart who was captain of the football team and my first boyfriend. We spent a year together but Matt liked to make plans for the future, which was a bit annoying, and we decided we were better off as friends. Matt now dates Rebekah Mikaelson, the only Mikaelson besides Elijah who didn't creep everyone out. Matt and Rebekah make a very cute couple. And last but not least, the Salvatore brothers, the school's most desired boys. No, scratch that, the TOWN's most desired boys. I dated Stefan for some months, but it eventually ended because I realized that what I felt for him wasn't that strong. There was no passion, we just cared deeply about each other. I still love him to death, but as a friend. I think he still wants to be with me though. Damon is a complete different case. I seem to be the only person he openly admits he cares about. You see, Stefan is a sweetheart. He is smart, polite and a great student. Damon is… well, Damon. He pretends he doesn't care about anything with his bad boy attitude, but I know him enough to see this is a façade. Damon and his mom, Elizabeth, were very close. However, his dad Giuseppe always saw Stefan as the golden kid and Damon as the black sheep. That didn't affect him much until his mom died two years ago. We all thought his relationship with his dad wasn't the best one, but after the horrible (and mysterious) attack that killed Elizabeth, Damon and Giuseppe never talk anymore, unless it's an argument. Damon says he is bad because his father tells him that but he can't fool me, and that's why I am the only one he trusts enough to tell his secrets. Damon cares about the rest of the Scooby gang just as much as me, but he doesn't let it show. Caroline, Bonnie and even Hayley are always saying I have unsaid feelings for him, but I really don't know. I mean he's one of my best friends and we've grown very close over the last couple years, but I don't think he'll ever see me that way.

My thoughts were interrupted by the bell, and I gathered my things and left the class. When I was on my way to my car, someone grabs me harshly by the arm. I noticed it was a dirty-looking man.

- You must be Elena. We've been looking for you for 17 years. – He grinned, showing his yellow teeth, making me feel nauseous.

- Who are you and what do you want with me? – I whimpered. Damn, I don't want to sound weak, but the fear was the one in control of my actions.

- That's not important. All you need to know is that if you scream or thrash or do anything to catch someone's attention, I will hurt people you care about. I know where you live and who you live with. – The man said, sending chills down my spine. I stopped fighting and just let him take me. When we were getting to his car, I felt something change inside me. Some kind of power warmed me from head to toe. Next thing I knew the man was screaming and convulsing like he was being… electrocuted… by me. Just like Bonnie said before. I couldn't help thinking about the supernatural thing she told me, losing my concentration and making the man fall to the ground, unconscious. Right after that, I lost my balance and everything went black.

When I woke up, I was confused for a while. I didn't remember what had happened for a couple of moments. I was startled by a noise coming from the opposite side of the room and just then I noticed I was on a comfortable bed, in a strange room. However, the presence of the person in front of me didn't scare me at all. It was a woman in her late twenties, and she looked familiar. A bit like me, actually, with her brown hair and brown eyes. She smiled at me.

- Hello, Elena. I can't believe I'm finally meeting you. – She said with the brightest smile on her face.

- How did I get here?

- I found you unconscious at your school parking lot and brought you here.

- Um, I'm sorry, but, um… Who… - I stuttered.

- Oh, I'm really sorry. I can imagine how confused you must be. I'm Nadia Petrova, and I am your aunt.

What? Mom never said I had an aunt named Nadia. This was getting too weird.

- Aunt? My mom never… - It seemed like I could not finish a single sentence, what was wrong with me?

-Elena, I think we should talk. There are things you need to know, and they will change your life forever. Are you ready for this?

I gulped. I was nervous, but something was telling me that whatever she had to tell me was really important, so I nodded. Nadia started talking again.

- Alright then. What do you know about mermaids?

The question surprised me. This was getting weirder by the second. I remembered what Bonnie told me.

- Well, not much. I just know that they exist because one of my friends told me.

- Okay. There is a kingdom for mermaids. An underwater kingdom, of course, named Azul. King Neptune rules Azul, and he has for a long time. He is kind and loving when he wants to be. Neptune has two daughters. One of them is named Isobel. A little over seventeen years ago, Isobel had two daughters. Twins. They were both beautiful babies and they looked so much like their mom. Unfortunately, the man Isobel married, John, came from a family of violent people. His family wanted him to marry Isobel not because it would make him happy, but because they would get a chance to live at the palace and eventually kill the king and take over the kingdom. However, John didn't let them stay at the palace. When Isobel had the twins, John's family threatened him and Isobel, saying that if they didn't let them stay at the palace, they would kill the two babies. Isobel called security on them, so they swam away. Nevertheless, they kept sending threats and one day, they kidnapped one of the twins. Everyone from the royal court searched for the little girl and was ready to fight with their lives to make sure that she would survive. They found the baby, and killed one of John's brothers, but the rest of his family fled again, not before making a promise that they would come for the babies, though. After everything that had happened, Isobel and John made the hardest choice of their lives. They decided to give up their babies until they were old enough to defend themselves. So they hired a sea witch to make the babies human and gave the babies to the most loving human families they found.

When she finished telling me her story I was confused for a moment and then it dawned on me.

- And, um, _aunt_ Nadia – I said, testing the words – What were the baby girls' names?

- I think you know the answer, Elena. – She said with a serious look on her face. But my denial was strong, so I asked again.

- Please tell me.

- Well, their names are Katerina Petrova and Elena Petrova. – She finished.

- So it isn't me! – I said stupidly – My name is Elena _Gilbert_, you're probably getting me mixed up with someone else.

_Because I'm not able to accept the truth_, I thought.

- Elena, from what I've heard, you're a pretty smart girl. Don't play stupid now, please. I don't want this situation to be hard.

- YOU DON'T WANT IT TO BE HARD? YOU THINK THIS IS NOT HARD ENOUGH? YOU THINK IT ISN'T HARD THAT I SPENT MY WHOLE LIIFE LIVING A LIE, THINKING I WAS SOMEONE I WAS NOT AND NOT HAVING THE SLIGHTEST IDEA THAT I WAS A FREAKING PRINCESS AND IN MORTAL DANGER EVER SINCE I WAS BORN? YOU THINK IT ISN'T HARD THAT THE FAMILY I LOVE SO MUCH FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER IS NOT MY REAL FAMILY? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF… - I trailed off, unable to carry on with my speech any further. I started sobbing uncontrollably, and Nadia approached me and hesitantly hugged me. Suprisingly, I let her.

- Hey, I know that it's a lot to take in, but we are your family okay? Whether you like it or not, we are family and believe me Elena, we loved you since the day you were born, and we will love you long after that. Give us a chance. You need our protection and you're going to transition back to a mermaid sooner or later, anyway. The spell that's making you appear human is already wearing off. And I'm sure that when you get to know your biological family, you will love them just as much as we love you. – She spoke and I felt a warm feeling in my heart. I knew I could trust her. And I remember her voice somehow-

- I think I remember your voice. Did we meet before they sent me away? – I asked.

- Actually yes, I used to sing you your favorite lullaby. – She said, lovingly.

- Oh… - I said, shyly. And suddenly I remembered something. – What happened to the other twin, I mean, my sister?

- You mean Katerina? She's actually in this house right now, I bet she's crazy to meet you. Don't worry, she was just as shocked as you were when I told her. She took more time to trust me though. – She explained to me.

- And when did you guys meet her? – I asked.

- Oh, just yesterday. She caught a glimpse of you when we were bringing you to this room. She looked terrified the minute she saw you like that, I'm guessing she thought you were dead, she's not an experienced mermaid either – She said with a smile.

- Good to know – I smiled back. – So, can I see her?

- Yes, of course, come with me please. – Nadia asked.

We went down the flight of stairs and got to the living room. It took less than ten seconds for the girl sitting on the couch watching TV to look at us. At that, her eyes widened so much that I thought they would bulge from their sockets. Okay, of all the creepy things that happened to me today, this topped it all. The girl staring at me was a perfect carbon copy of myself, the only difference was the makeup and the attire. I opened and closed my mouth like a fish. I didn't know what to say. We stayed like that for a bit more than a minute and my twin was the one to break the silence. I could only agree with her when she said:

- Oh my God.

_Yeah, those three words describe perfectly how I am feeling right now too._


	2. A class about the past

**A/N: Thank you SO much for following, reviewing and favoriting this story. I was insecure about the plot and knowing that you liked it made me really happy. So, here is the second chapter. I hope you like it and leave a review if you could, I really wanna know your opinion :) I probably won't be updating for two weeks, because I have to study for some tests, but I promise that as soon as the tests are over, there will be a brand new chapter for you. And don't worry, the Delena and Steferine scenes will come, I have a lot planned for this story :D Thank you again, xo Clara**

ELENA

- Oh my God.

I kept looking at my "sister" and couldn't help but feel overwhelmed at how much we looked alike. I even had the urge to sing that annoying Justin Timberlake song "It's like you're my mirror, my mirror staring back at me". I have to confess I almost sang it, just to break the ice. We stayed like that, staring at each other for a while, until I noticed how awkward this situation was getting.

- Um, hi? – I tried.

The girl looked at me, a bit frightened actually. She didn't say anything.

- Don't you think it's a bit cruel to leave all the talking to me? I mean, let's not make this more awkward than it already is, I might as well play ostrich and bury my head to hide from this situation – I said, playfully. Thankfully, she laughed.

- Sorry, I was just a bit shocked. Wouldn't do that to you normally – She grinned - I'm Katherine Pierce. It's very weird to meet you – She joked.

- My pleasure – I played along.

- So, do you have a name or should I call you Katherine II?

- Oh my God, sorry – I laughed – I'm Elena. Elena Gilbert.

-So, Elena, do you live nearby?

- I… don't know. Where are we?

- About thirty minutes away from Richmond, my hometown. – She told me.

- Oh, so we must be one hour and a half from the place where I live. It's a small town by the coast, Mystic Falls. Nothing ever happens there – I laughed.

- Wow, sounds boring. – My twin said. I liked her already.

- It is.

- So, Elena, do you have a family? – She asked – Sorry, stupid question, of course you do but… Ugh, you know what I mean! – She laughed. She reminded me of Caroline a bit (every shrill person reminds me of her), but with sexy clothes and more makeup.

- I do. I live with my parents and my little brother. What about you?

- I live with my parents too, and my older sister, Rose.

We spent the next twenty minutes sitting silently, just processing our new discoveries. After a while, she looked at me and asked:

- What happened to you before they brought you here? I mean, when they arrived with you, I thought you were dead, or in a coma, or something like that.

- I could say you wouldn't believe me, but after everything that has happened today you probably will. I was leaving school this morning and a disgusting guy grabbed me and tried to take me with him, I fought with him for several moments, and when I was ready to give up, I kind of electrocuted him and passed out.

- Oh my, I thought we were mermaids, not freaking Pikachu. – She joked, halfheartedly.

- Yep. Next thing I know I'm waking up at a stranger's house, with said stranger, telling me I'm a fish princess who can be killed at any time. And how was your day? – I joke, already imagining that hers was pretty much like mine.

- Not different from yours, to be honest. But no one attacked me. Nadia just found me at my school and brought me here after a million tries to convince me she wasn't going to sell me to a prostitution agency – She said with a grin.

- Oh – I didn't know what else to say.

Seeing my discomfort, Katherine continued.

- So, how crazy is all of this? I mean, first, you find out you're a royal. Second, you find out that you're a royal whose life is in danger ever since you were born and last, but not least, you're a freaking human fish hybrid, capable to shock others with your hands. Not weird at all.

- Just your normal everyday stuff – I joked – And you know what's worse? To find out that the family I love so much ever since I could remember is not my real family.

- Oh, come on, just because you and your parents don't share the same genes, that doesn't mean you're not their daughter. I bet they love you just as much as you love them, if not more – Katherine said.

- I guess so. That was a nice thing to say, thank you.

When Katherine was about to reply, Nadia entered the room.

- I see you've bonded – She said with a smile – You have no idea of how happy that makes me.

- Um, could you tell us a bit more about mermaids? I mean what are we able to do? What are our weaknesses? – I asked her.

- Of course. I heard you talking to your sister about being able to shock people. That is one of the abilities you have. It gets even better because only the descendants of Neptune have this gift, therefore, only those from the royal family can do that. I heard one of you mentioning something about a Pikachu. I don't really know what a Pikachu is but we compare this shocking thing to an eel that shocks his prey. Because you're descendants of Neptune, you can also control tides and move water with your mind, like a telekinetic. As a mermaid, you can breathe and live underwater, swim faster than any sea creature, and if any of you are wondering how your hair is going to react to the salt, I can assure you that mermaid hair isn't affected by the salt at all.

- Thank God – I heard Katherine mutter. I fought the urge to laugh. She was about to say something when Nadia interrupted.

- And before you ask, you cannot talk to crabs or name your pet fish flounder. King Neptune doesn't use a trident, he's not an old man, well, at least he doesn't look old, and he doesn't have a beard.

At that, Katherine and I laughed.

- So you've watched the little mermaid, huh? – I asked.

- Yeah, yeah. It's a cute kid's movie that caught my attention when I was visiting the land once – Nadia said.

- So, what do you guys eat? – Katherine asked.

- We basically eat fish and seaweed.

- Gross – Katherine muttered. And then she added:

- Not trying to ask an awkward question, but already doing so… How do you guys um… do the nasty?

I tried my hardest not to laugh at that moment, but I couldn't help it, especially after seeing Nadia's mortified look.

- Couldn't you have asked something better? Okay, well, when we are aroused, or when we want to go to the bathroom, our intimate parts just show up in our tails. Only when we want to, though, it would be really bad if people just swam around in public showing their parts to everyone.

- Tell me about it. So you just swim in your own-

- Next question.

- Do you lay eggs?

- No, Katerina, we get pregnant just like humans do.

- Katherine – She corrected.

- Well, I know you as Katerina – Nadia deadpanned.

- And I know myself as Katherine.

- Okay people, there are more important things to do at the moment – I tried to stop their bickering, and their glaring contest after the talking ceased.

- Elena is right, you both need to control your powers. You're getting more endangered by the second, and you turn 18 in a couple months – Nadia said.

_No shit, Sherlock_, I thought.

- And how in the world are we going to learn how to control them? – Katherine asked.

- I'll teach you, of course. If Elena's already able to shock people, that means you both are ready to change back into mermaids.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who says we are ready to give up our lives here? – I interrupted, earning a nod from Katherine.

- Mermaids are able to change into human form at will. We only needed a witch to make you human because you two were too young. Besides, the witch's spell didn't only make you appear human, but hid your mermaid scents – Nadia answered – However, because you were made human by a witch, you need one to revert you both back to your original forms.

- Seems fun – Katherine said sarcastically, making Nadia roll her eyes.

- You remind me so much of Isobel – Nadia told her – The same nonchalant attitude, but a little girl on the inside.

- I am not a little girl – Katherine argued.

- Okay, if you say so – Nadia snickered.

- So, when are you going to bring this witch to make us mermaids again? – I asked.

- Tomorrow.

- TOMORROW? – Katherine and I said in unison. I was NOT prepared for that at all. And apparently Kat wasn't either.

- Yes, so prepare yourselves and be here at 7pm. Now get your stuff, I'm taking you both home – Nadia said.

In the car, we had already taken Katherine home, and we were on our way to Mystic Falls when I remembered I hadn't asked the most important question of all:

- Did my parents know about this?

- Of course they did, do you think we would just give the two heirs to the throne to anyone without explaining the situation and making it clear that you needed to be utterly protected? – Nadia answered.

- Actually, I did. They never told me that.

I felt betrayed. I lived my whole life with them and they never thought of telling me. But I can imagine how awkward it would be for them to explain; like "Hey Elena, guess what, you're adopted, and your biological parents gave you to me because some people from your biological father's family are using you and your sister to threaten your family; that happens to be the royal family of an underwater kingdom in which everyone is half human half fish; because they want to rule said kingdom." I probably would've laughed at their faces. Now, not so much. But still, they could have at least tried.

- Don't get angry at Miranda and Grayson, Elena, they love you very much and they just wanted to protect you – Nadia said.

- Yeah, probably.

Twenty minutes later, we arrived home. I said goodbye to Nadia and she gave me the address of her place because I would need to go there on the following day.

The first things I saw when I opened my house's door were my mom's swollen eyes and a worried (but a bit angry, making me shit myself) look on her face.

- Elena, I was so worried about you! You disappeared for almost nine hours and we found your car in the school's parking lot. Can you please tell me WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I SWEAR IF YOU DON'T TELL ME RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT YOU'LL BE GROUNDED FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!

- Whoa, mom, calm down. I was going to tell you anyway.

- Well, spill.

- No, first you have to answer me something. Was I really supposed to find out I am a mermaid by being kidnapped and almost killed or did you actually plan on telling me that?

I saw my mom freeze.

- What?

- Oh, mom, stop playing innocent. Nadia told me all about my real origins.

- Elena, you must know that I only did that to protect y-

- Yeah, that's what Nadia said too. But that protection isn't working out so well now, is it? I mean, I did get attacked and almost killed at my school's parking lot. And why didn't you tell me I was adopted? And had a TWIN SISTER? – I raised my voice. I was so angry right now, and I knew I was being too harsh on her, but all the events from earlier seemed to hit me at that moment and I couldn't control myself. – HUH MOM? Were you planning on lying to me for the rest of my life?

- Elena please… - My mom managed to say between sobs – Please don't do that to me and your dad. We only did that because we love you very much. And you need to know that when we love, we make stupid and hurtful decisions because we think it's going to make our beloved happy, or safe, especially when you are a mother. I would die for you Leenie, you being my biological daughter or not.

I wanted to stay mad at her, but I couldn't, especially after she called me Leenie.

- Will you forgive me honey? – Mom asked with puppy dog eyes.

- Okay…

I didn't even see her coming, I just felt her hugging me so tight I could barely breathe.

- I love you so much – Mom said.

- I know mom, I love you too – I said with teary eyes.

After a while, I remembered something.

- How are we going to tell Jeremy everything?

- You don't need to – My little brother's voice startled me – I was listening the whole time.

- You mean you were eavesdropping – I said, making mom chuckle.

- Is this really true? Are you really a… mermaid? – He asked. I could tell he was having a hard time believing it. Actually **I **was having a hard time believing it.

- Apparently, yes – I answered.

- It's true, Jeremy. I'll tell both of you everything I know – Mom said.

Moments later, my mom was carrying a box in the living room, with my dad in tow.

- So now you know – He said – I need to tell you baby girl, we only kept you in the dark because we love you so much and we wanted to protect you.

- I know, dad. Mom told me the same thing. I'm not mad at you anymore.

- That's great, baby – Dad said, sounding relieved.

Mom opened the box and started talking.

- So, Lena, your dad and I had just gotten married when a stranger showed up in our doorstep.

SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO

_The sound of someone knocking on their house's door startled the Gilberts._

_- Grayson! – Miranda called – Did you order something?_

_- No – Grayson answered._

_- So who could that be? _

_- I don't know but I'll find out right now._

_When Grayson opened the door, he was greeted with the sight of two young looking women and a man who was probably on his early thirties. One of the women was carrying a baby, who he could assume was a girl judging by the pink cloth she was wrapped on._

_- Hello. I'm Isobel Petrova, and these are my sister, Nadia and my husband, John. Can we talk to you? – The woman carrying the baby asked._

_What did she want to talk about? Was she one of those people who come at your doorstep with a small child so they can ask for change? Grayson's thoughts were interrupted by Miranda's voice._

_- What do you want to talk about?_

_- Well, we need someone to raise our little Elena here. She's in great danger and we can't protect her – Isobel said._

_- If you aren't able to protect her, what makes you think we are? – Grayson asked._

_- We'll explain everything. Will you let us come in? – The man, John, asked._

_- I would, if I knew you. Who's to say you're not burglars trying to trick us with the baby? _

_- We're not. Please, we mean you no harm, you have to trust us – Nadia said._

_Somewhere in Nadia's pleading eyes, Miranda saw something that made her believe her words._

_- You can come in._

_Grayson threw his wife a look that said "what the fuck?" and Miranda ignored him._

_- I told you we would explain everything. Well, okay, here we go – Isobel started._

_After they finished explaining everything, the Gilberts were dumbfounded. Well, at east Miranda was. Grayson reacted a bit differently._

_- I'm calling an asylum, you're all nuts._

_- Well, if you're really mermaids, why don't you prove it to us? – Miranda challenged._

_- Okay – John answered – Izzy?_

_- Alright. Nadia, would you hold Elena for me, please?_

_Suddenly, a bright light invaded the area, mesmerizing the human couple. The light faded and there, in front of them, was a beautiful creature. Isobel was still the same from the waist up, but her legs had morphed into a long, slender purple tail that made the Gilberts' jaws fall slack._

_- Oh. My. God – Miranda said._

_- Do you believe us now? – Nadia asked. The couple could only nod._

_- Yes. And we will raise the baby – Miranda answered._

_- Are you crazy? What happens if they find out that we have the child? - Grayson told his wife._

_-The chances are really close to zero. We're giving our little girl to you so your human scent can hide her, and we even turned Elena into a human, they won't find out where she is. And even if they do, we are magically watching you._

_- So I don't see any problem. We'll raise and love the little girl as one of our own – Miranda said, she clearly wanted a child more than anything._

_- If she doesn't see a problem, then I don't see a problem either. We'll stay with her – Grayson added. He tried to act nonchalant, but he was really happy that he was going to raise a baby._

_- Oh, thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to us. We will be forever grateful – Isobel said._

_- Anytime – Miranda said with a smile, picking the little girl up and kissing her small head._

PRESENT TIME

Jeremy was the first one to speak.

- This is crazy.

_Understatement of the century, little bro._

- Can you make something happen? Or show your tail, anything?

- I told you, Jeremy. They turned her into a human, she can't do anything – Mom said.

- Actually, when that guy attacked me at the parking lot earlier today, I kind of shocked him.

- You WHAT? Oh my God, that means the spell they used on you is wearing off. That's why they found you, your scent must be getting stronger – Dad said.

- Yeah, that's what Nadia told me. And she's already called the witch so she can turn me and Katherine back into mermaids.

- And when will that be? – Jeremy asked.

- Tomorrow.

Nadia picked me up at school the next day, with Katherine in the car.

- So this is where you live? Oh my, I can smell the cows from here. I don't know how you manage to live here without dying of boredom – My twin said and I glared at her.

- Actually, it's a pretty good place to live, and I have great friends here.

- If you say so…

After several minutes, Katherine spoke.

- Hey, we didn't have the time to know each other well, I mean, we know the basics but…

- Let's play twenty questions – I offered.

- Okay, anything to make this road trip less boring. I'll start. What was the name of your first dog?

- Hulk. And a fun fact: he was a tiny pinscher.

At that, Katherine started laughing.

- My turn – I said – What was the most embarrassing moment of your life?

- That will be hard…But I think it's probably the day I sat on an ice cream cone and spent the whole day with the stain on my ass because I didn't notice.

- Oh, my God! Were you on crack? How could you not notice that? – I chuckled.

- I don't know either – She laughed.

We were having so much fun that we didn't notice when we arrived at Nadia's house.

- Alright, girls, we're here - She said.

- Will it hurt? – Katherine asked.

- Sorry, I have no idea – Nadia replied.

When we opened the door, the witch was already waiting for us. She was a middle aged woman, and seemed very familiar to me.

- Do I know you? – I asked her.

- Well, hello to you too – The woman replied.

- Oh hi, I'm sorry. It's just that you look so familiar.

- Well, you're Elena, right?

- Yes.

- Than I think it's because you're friends with my niece, Bonnie – She told me.

- You're Bonnie's aunt? Oh, my God, when she told me she came from a lineage of witches I didn't think her family was so involved in this – I said.

- Yes I am. I am Lucy. It's nice to meet you both – She smiled.

- Nice to meet you too – Katherine and I replied at the same time. I still found it creepy how even our voices were the same.

- Okay, so shall we start? – Nadia asked. At that, Lucy opened a gigantic book, which I assumed it was some kind of spell book.

- Will it hurt? – Katherine asked again, but this time, the question was aimed at the witch. I looked at my sister's face and noticed her fear. She was terrified. But then again, who wouldn't be? I was on the verge of shitting my pants.

- It may hurt a little, but the pain will be really brief.

- See, you two have nothing to worry about – Nadia said.

- Easy for you to say, you're not the one whose body parts are going to be rearranged – Katherine muttered.

- We're going to start the spell now okay? – Lucy asked.

- Okay – Kat and I answered.

Lucy lit some candles, opened her book, closed her eyes and started chanting. I couldn't understand a thing. What the actual fuck was she saying? My thoughts were interrupted by Kat's screaming. She was on the floor clutching her head and her abdomen, begging for Lucy to stop the spell. I was already crouching, intending to help her when I felt a sharp pain in my head. The pain was so strong that I felt disoriented. The tears came out involuntarily. When the headache was ceasing, I felt like my stomach had just caught on fire. I didn't know I could scream that loudly. When I looked at Katherine, she wasn't awake anymore. I didn't even have time to fear for her life, because seconds later everything went black.

**A/N: Like I said, don't worry, Delena and Steferine are coming soon :)**


	3. The Surprise

**A/N:Hello guys, I'm back! I'm sorry for the delay, but the last weeks have been pretty busy. Now that my tests are over, I'll have more time to write, so the story will be updated next week. I'd like to thank everyone who read, favorited, reviewed and followed this story, I'm getting an amazing support. You're all awesome! xo Clara :)**

ELENA

"Elena…" I heard a distant voice calling me. What's happening? I thought the only thing the spell did was revert me to my original form. "Elena, wake up". The voice got closer. I tried to open my eyes, but when I did, a blinding light made my eyes hurt, so I closed them again, groaning.

- WAKE UP! – Someone slapped me.

I opened my eyes abruptly to find Katherine and Nadia hovering over me. My vision was a bit blurred and I felt strange, a bit heavy, actually. When I tried to get up I noticed that my legs weren't legs anymore, instead there was a tail, probably 5 feet long. It was dark purple in my waist, and it got lighter and lighter as it approached the bottom, where it was a gray tone of purple. And I thought I was tall before. I looked at Katherine and she had a tail just like mine. This was too weird. Katherine probably noticed the look on my face, because on the next moment, she spoke.

- Fucked up, isn't it?

-Tell me about it – I tried to move my tail and it obeyed all my commands. _Of course it did, Elena, it's a freaking limb._

- I'm sorry for the pain you both went through. I didn't think it would hurt this much – Nadia apologized – But it's so good to see you like this again, now I see the two little girls that we left here seventeen years ago, and I also see that they turned into two beautiful young ladies that have a bright future ahead of them – Nadia told us, tearfully.

- Thank you. That was a beautiful thing to say, but the transformation still hurt like a bitch, so I'm sorry that I sound, look and am so grumpy right now – Katherine apologized.

- So, how are we going to make ourselves look like humans after this? – I asked.

- That's your first lesson – Nadia answered. I wondered how the fuck she would teach us how to shift if we didn't have the slightest idea of how this worked. She must have read my thoughts because she quickly added – And don't worry, it's pretty easy, especially for you because you both have an idea of how it is like to be human, so you'll do great. Are you ready?

- I think so - I answered. After Kat said yes, Nadia started talking.

- Okay. I want both of you to take a deep breath and close your eyes. Now I want you to think of how it's like to be human, think about your legs. Can you do that? – I did as she said and for a moment nothing happened, until suddenly I felt my whole body tingling. The sensation was completely different from when I changed the first time. When I opened my eyes, I had legs again, and so did Kat.

- Wow – Katherine breathed.

- Oh. My. God – I said.

- I'm so proud of you. I knew you could do it – Nadia smiled – Now that you're human again, let's test your powers. But first, I want you all to meet someone.

What? – Katherine and I said at the same time

- She's so excited to meet the both of you, she spent the last 17 years miserable because she wasn't able to see you – Nadia added.

- Wait a minute – Katherine said – Are you talking about…

- Yes – Nadia interrupted her – Say hello to Isobel, your mother.

I heard someone walk into the room. I glanced at the door and immediately gasped. There, stood a middle aged woman, who looked an awful lot like me (and Katherine) with her brown hair, small nose, long neck and heart shaped face. The only difference was her eyes, which were a greenish blue. Speaking of eyes, hers were shining; I didn't know if from the tears or happiness (maybe both); and she had the biggest smile I've ever seen in my life. Ever since I found out about her existence I tried not to think about her so I wouldn't have mixed feelings. I didn't want to have another mom. I didn't want my mom to think I don't love her anymore just because I had found out who my biological mother is. But I couldn't _not_ have feelings for her when she was standing there, with a warm and loving look on her face. My eyes drifted to Katherine and I noticed she was crying. I was shocked. I hadn't known my sister for long, but by her cold demeanor towards almost everyone I would never in a billion years think she would cry in front of anyone, especially a mom that she hadn't known until today. To be honest, I thought she would be mad at Isobel or something like that. I would be mad at Isobel if I hadn't known that she only did what she's done because she needed to protect us and couldn't do it herself.

- Hello, girls. You have no idea of how much I've missed you.

Isobel came closer and hugged us so tightly I couldn't even breathe. Her hug made me feel somewhat safe. I was trying my best not to cry, but after everything that happened, seeing my biological mother crying her eyes out and hugging us as if we were going to disappear at any second brought all the feelings to the surface. After a long time, Isobel pulled back and looked at us, smiling.

- Oh, look at you! You both look so beautiful and so grown up! I watched you both over the years but seeing you in person, it's just-I can't even-

- Whoa! Breathe, um… mom? – Katherine said, testing the word. It probably worked because as soon as Isobel heard the word "mom" she stopped blabbering and looked at Katherine.

- I'm sorry. It's just that it's been so long and I love you both so much…

- I know. Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself? – I suggested – And after you finish, we can tell you about our lives, so we can get to know each other.

- Alright. Well, as you know, my name is Isobel. Isobel Mikaela Petrova. I was born in the Kingdom of Azul 45 years ago. My parents are King Neptune Petrov and Queen Monique Petrova. I'm married to Sir John Grey, your father, who wanted to be here today but he couldn't leave the kingdom with me, Nadia's already here. The mermaid scent would be too strong, especially now that you've transformed back. Seventeen years ago I had to leave the most precious things in my life on land because my husband's family is made of cruel, selfish people, and they were threatening my little girls. I spent the last seventeen years with a hole in my heart because I was away from my little jewels, but now, seeing the kind young women they had become brings me all the joy in the world – She finished, starting to cry again. Actualy, everyone in the room was crying at that moment. Katherine was the first to wipe her tears and talk about herself and her family. I found out her full name was Katherine Amelia Pierce and she wanted to be a stylist. After she finished I talked about myself. I told them my full name, which was Elena Holly Gilbert and I also talked about my family, my little brother Jeremy and about how I wanted to be a journalist.

After we were all done, an awkward silence fell in the place. Isobel was the first one to break it.

- Girls, I am sorry I've never came to see you, but we couldn't risk have you knowing earlier than necessary, and you have to know that everything we did, was for your protection and your protection only – She said. That sounded awfully like my parents. I saw Katherine flinching, and assumed she probably heard that one, too.

- I understand. I'm mad, but I do understand – Katherine said – So, are we going to test our powers or not?

- Yes, of course! Dramatic break's over, move your lazy asses, come on! – Nadia said, making Isobel giggle.

Minutes later, we were at the house's pool, which was huge. Nadia started lesson two.

- Okay. Now that you know how to change into mermaids, we'll start the second lesson: swimming. You may also try to breathe underwater, don't be scared, you won't die or anything – She said. _How reassuring_.

We jumped into the pool and I tried to imagine myself with a tail again. It was just like the first transformation. At first, I didn't feel anything, but then, the tingling came and the next time I opened my eyes I had a purple fish tail. Katherine had finished the transformation as well.

- Okay, what now? – I asked.

- Try to swim around – Nadia said. She probably wanted to say "duh!" but didn't, because Isobel was there.

I started moving my tail, but it wasn't working. I was just splashing the water and making a mess. Katherine was better at this than I was, she was already moving.

- How the fuck did you do that? - I asked her.

- Language! – Isobel reprimanded. I rolled my eyes.

- Sorry. But how is she doing that?

- I have no idea, to be honest – Katherine said, giggling at the end.

- Try to move your whole tail. You're only moving its end. You see, Katherine's tail makes a whole "S" when she's swimming. Try to do that. Don't force too much, though – Isobel told me.

- Alright – I said, and tried to do it again. It worked this time. I was moving flawlessly in the water, like a true… mermaid. It was amazing, I never knew swimming could be that… fulfilling. I felt whole when I was in the water. I was still underwater when I saw Katherine.

- This is so cool – She said.

I was afraid to answer. I was a bit reluctant about breathing underwater but when I took a good look at Kat and how she was breathing and not having a problem with it I decided to try it out.

- Yeah – I answered. That was one more thing to go on my "weirdest things that have happened to me" list.

The first thing I saw when I emerged was Isobel's proud eyes.

- I knew you could do it – She said.

- High five, both of you! – Nadia said, making us laugh and high five her back – Now that you learned how to swim, let's start the hard stuff.

_That was going to be a long afternoon._

It was almost 9pm and I was exhausted. We spent the whole afternoon training and testing our powers, and I learned so much cool stuff. I found out I could move water and create tides. I also learned how to control that shocking thing; that was going to be useful. I was getting good at it but I still had a long way to go. We went back to Mystic Falls and I decided to invite Kat to sleep at my house tonight. We were now at my front porch, waiting for my mom to open the door. I noticed Kat's uncomfortable face.

- Don't worry, they won't bite you.

- Worried? Who's worried? I'm not worried – Katherine blabbered, making me chuckle.

A moment later, my mom opened the door and it was comical how her eyes bulged from their sockets. She looked confused.

- Oh, my God. Elena… you and… look exactly…

- Yeah, we know. Mom, this is my twin sister Katherine and she will be sleeping at our house today – I told my mom, a bit nervous.

- Um, hello ma'am – Katherine tried – It's nice to meet you.

- Oh, where are my manners? I'm sorry, dear. Come in, welcome to our home – Mom said, letting us in - I'm Miranda, Elena's mom. Nice to meet you too. Did you bring clothes to wear? Don't worry, if you didn't, you can borrow Elena's and-

- Mom, we've got that sorted out, breathe – I laughed.

- Oh, I'm sorry. Anyway, your friend Bonnie showed up earlier this afternoon asking if you were still going to Tyler's party tonight. It's at 10.

- Oh my God! I totally forgot about that! I told her I was going this morning.

- Well, you can still go. It's 9 o'clock, you've got a whole hour to get ready. You can introduce Katherine to your friends there.

- Okay, then. What do you say, Kat?

- Alright. I love parties and I would be bored if I had to stay with you all night – She joked, making mom laugh. I stuck my tongue at her. At that, mom left.

- Okay, let's go get ready. You can choose any outfit you like. There will be plenty of boys there – I winked.

- Now you're speaking my language – Katherine smirked.

We went upstairs and started looking for clothes to wear. Katherine's style is a bit different from mine. Her outfits are more… mature. But luckily, she found something she liked and started dressing herself. I wondered if Damon was going to the party, I need to tell him everything. I know that he will laugh at me at first, but then he will believe me, and look into my eyes with his gorgeous blue ones and-

- So, who's the guy? – My sister's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

- Huh?

- I know that look. You were clearly thinking about someone.

- What? I wasn't!

- Yes, you were!

- Was not!

- Was too!

- I wasn't! Now stop, are you done? – I impatiently said.

- Yes, let's go.

My mom smiled at us when we met her downstairs.

- You look absolutely gorgeous! Hope you have a nice party! Take care, and Elena, please don't get drunk. You're driving, remember that, sweetie. Love you.

- Okay, mom. I know, love you too – I answered.

- Oh, and Katherine? I'm sorry you couldn't meet my husband and Jeremy, they went out to watch a game, you know how men are – Mom grinned – You'll probably meet them tomorrow.

- Oh, okay. Don't worry about that – Katherine smiled.

When we arrived at Tyler's party, everyone was shocked to see a girl who looked exactly like me. Everybody was looking at us as if we were two aliens who had just landed at the party. I was feeling uncomfortable, until Caroline and Bonnie found us.

- Oh my God, Elena! Why haven't you told us you have a sister? And oh my God, she looks exactly like you! Is she your twin? Ugh, of course, Caroline, she can't be anything else! Why haven't we met your sister yet? How is that possible? – Caroline started talking. My blonde friend has a serious talking issue.

- Does she ever stop to breathe? – Katherine asked. Bonnie, who was looking at us with a suspicious face, laughed at that.

- Unfortunately, no. Little Caroline here is a chatterbox, and she gets worse after 4 shots of tequila.

- Oh, my God– Katherine chuckled.

- But, Caroline's right, how come we had never heard of your twin sister until now? – Bonnie asked.

- Well, guys, the thing is… I'm adopted. – Caroline and Bonnie gasped at that – And Katherine is too. We were separated at birth and reunited a few days ago. I've been pretty busy these days, and that's why I didn't get to tell you- I answered.

- Wow – They said in unison.

- Yep – I said – But hey, Kat's here to have fun with us, so why don't we dance a little?

- Good idea! – Caroline shouted. I looked at Katherine and she was laughing.

- Your friends are psychos, especially the blonde one, but they're great!

- Oh, I forgot. Katherine, these are Bonnie and Caroline, my two best friends.

- Nice to meet you – Katherine giggled.

It was nice to know Kat liked my friends, and apparently they liked her back. That meant I wasn't going to have a problem with them saying Katherine was driving us apart or something like that.

After a lot of dancing, I spotted Damon and Stefan coming at our way.

- Oh, my God, hottie alert! – Katherine said.

- Kat, those are Damon and Stefan Salvatore – I told her.

- Don't tell me you know them. They're so hot that-

- You're totally right. I am hot – I heard Damon's smooth voice. Why does he have to flirt with everyone?

- Oh, shut up Damon – I said.

- Don't be jealous, Leenie, I still love you – Damon said, smirking. I can't believe he's always smirking and yet every time he does that I have to stop myself from swooning. _And why am I thinking about Damon like that?_

- And who is this gorgeous lady here? – Stefan said. Katherine's eyes went comically wide and she blushed.

- I'm Katherine, Elena's sister.

- She never told me she had a sister – Stefan said. But I can see that the beauty runs in the family.

- Stop with the cheesiness, Stefan, they're obviously twins. How is that possible, anyway? – Damon asked, and I told them what I told Caroline and Bonnie.

- Oh, okay. That's cool, nice to meet you, Katherine – He said.

The hours passed by and Katherine and Stefan only got closer and closer during the night. It was cute, actually. Caroline and Bonnie had already left because Caroline was so drunk she threw up and passed out, and Bonnie had to take her home. Damon was making jokes all night and dancing with me. We even had a moment when we stared into each other's eyes, but it didn't last long.

- Do you girls want us to get some drinks? – Damon offered.

- Finally! – Katherine said.

- Very polite – I told her.

- We'll be right back, then – Stefan said, and then left with Damon.

- So how's the night with Stefan going? – I asked with a smug look on my face.

- You and Damon are totally crushing on each other! – Katherine said.

- Oh, not you too! And don't change the subject!

- Stefan's amazing. He's a sweetheart. I can't believe you broke up with him. Actually, thank you – She said.

- I could see the chemistry between you too – I told her.

- But what about you and Damon? You guys are so into each other! – Kat said.

- Damon? He only sees me as a friend.

- I didn't know romantically staring into each other's eyes was something you did to a friend. The thing is, you like him and he likes you back, but both of you think you're on the friend zone. Just tell him what you feel.

- Do you think it will work? – I asked my sister.

- Of course it will, now go!

- Okay – I said – And Katherine?

- What?

- Thank you.

- That's what sisters are for isn't it? – She said, making me smile. I went in the direction of the bar to look for the boys, but I only saw Stefan.

- Hey, Stefan, where's Damon? – I asked him?

- He went that way. I don't know what he's doing – He said.

- Thank you!

- Oh, hey, Elena! – Stefan called.

- Huh?

- Do you think things might work between me and Katherine? – He asked.

- I'm sure of it – I smiled.

- Okay, thank you. And Elena?

- What?

- Damon likes you very much.

I blushed at that, and left. I spent several minutes looking for Damon. Where was he? I was at the Lockwood gardens. They were really creepy when there was no one and it was dark. Suddenly, I heard a noise. I was praying it was Damon. I followed the noise and what I saw made me shiver from head to toe. Someone was holding another person against a tree, with their hand _inside_ the person's chest. The one who was being held against the tree was shouting "I was threatened, I was threatened" before the other one ripped his heart out of his chest. I gasped loudly and when the creature turned around, I was so shocked I almost fainted.

- _Damon_?

**A/N: Hope you like it :)**


	4. Damon

**A/N: New chapter! Hope you like this one. I'd like to thank everyone who favorited, reviewed and followed this story, you're all amazing. And I'd like to thank TeamSteferine for her awesome support. Next chapter will be from Katherine's point of view. Enjoy! xo Clara :)**

**PS: If you could, please leave a review so I can know how you guys like this story so far. **

DAMON

"Damon?" Elena's scared voice made me shiver from head to toe. She looked terrified, and I didn't really blame her. The whites of my eyes became red, I had protruding veins under my eye sockets and my canine teeth were longer than they should be. And to top it all, she had just watched me kill a werewolf.

"Elena" I took a step forward, and winced when she took a step back, trying to get away from me. Elena was the one person I didn't ever want to lose, so I'd have to make her forget everything. She was hyperventilating and if I didn't do something soon, her brain wouldn't get enough oxygen and she would pass out. "Elena, look at me." I tried to calm her down, but she wouldn't listen.

"No, Damon… what is… how did…what have you done, I… WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU?" I could tell she wanted to run but was paralyzed with fear, and it broke my heart.

"Elena, you shouldn't have seen that." I told her. And it was the truth. Elena shouldn't have seen any of this. She must have been traumatized. Now I just have to compel her to forget everything, because I can't stand the idea of Elena hating me.

"No, I should have. How could you do this, Damon?" She asked with tears in her eyes. I hated to be the one to make her cry. "How were you able to… k-kill someone? And what the fuck are you?"

I knew she was going to take steps back if I approached her gradually, so I decided to use my speed to grab her arms in a firm but gentle grip.

"Let go of me!" She screamed. I could hear her heartbeat. Her heart was beating so fast it was almost alarming. But when I focused in her scent, I smelled something different. She had always smelt differently and he'd never known why, but now her scent was ten times stronger.

"No, Elena, just hear me out!" I tried to reason with her, but she wasn't listening.

"I said LET GO!" At that, I felt a shock and had to release her. What the fuck had happened? And judging by the way she was looking at me, she wasn't expecting that to happen.

"Elena?" I asked. What was going on with her?

"Damon, I… I'm going to leave now. Please don't follow me." She said, sniffling at the end.

"No, Elena, you WILL listen to me." I said looking deep into her eyes, trying to compel her. I was almost sure I had succeeded when she looked at me with an angry expression.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? YOU LIED TO ME! YOU NEVER TOLD ME THAT YOU WERE LIKE THIS! YOU KILLED A PERSON AND NOW YOU ARE TRYING TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO? SCREW YOU!" She sobbed. How was that possible? How could she resist the compulsion? No human would be able to resist it without vervain, and I don't smell any on her. Unless…

Her scent was different. She shocked me and she could resist compulsion. There was something Elena was not telling me.

"You said I lied to you, Elena, but tell me. What are _you_? Normal people don't shock the others." At that, she seemed to freeze.

"I- I don't know what you are talking about." She said, trying to leave.

"Oh, cut the crap, Elena." I told her, blocking her way.

"Let me go. Please." She said, tearfully.

"Let's do it like this: I'll tell you what I am and why I am like this and you tell me all about you, okay?" I asked her.

"I don't have to explain myself to you." She said with a frown.

"Please, Elena. I beg you, just hear me out. Give me a chance, if after I tell you everything you still don't want to see me you can go and never talk to me anymore. I promise I won't hurt you." I begged her. She seemed to think about my offer for a moment.

"Okay." She said and I released a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"I'm a vampire, Elena. I haven't told you before because I was afraid you wouldn't want to be my… my friend anymore." I said, stuttering a little when I spoke the word _friend._ I don't want Elena to be my friend, but unfortunately I'm already on the friend zone, and I'd rather be her friend than not be with her at all. "I killed that man because… because… because he was one of the monsters that killed my mom." I heard Elena gasp.

"What? Oh my God, Damon. I'm so sorry." She said. "But… how did that happen? And... What monsters?"

"My father, he's a supernatural hunter. His hobby is basically killing everything that is out of the ordinary. He has a whole arsenal full of weapons that can kill vampires and lots of other creatures in our house. Two years ago, some werewolves threatened him, saying that if he didn't stop being a hunter he would suffer the consequences. But he didn't stop, so one day, the werewolves kidnapped my mom when she was coming home from work and killed her. At first, I only blamed my father, but after he told me what they did to my mom, I needed to make them pay. So a couple months ago, I grabbed one of my father's vervain darts and shot one of the vampires that he was hunting. When he passed out, I sliced his wrist open and drank his blood. I told father about the vampire and he killed the creature. After that, I took some pills, overdosed and died. I woke up hours later as a vampire, and transitioned. If I wanted to kill the werewolves that did that to my mom, I had to be stronger than them. Some weeks later, Stefan found out and asked me to turn him. I refused at first, but then he said he was already thinking of doing the same thing I did and if I didn't turn him, he would find someone else to do it. So I did it. I turned him. And now, we're hunting the werewolves that killed my mom, and I won't stop until their leader is dead." I finished and looked at Elena's face, her eyes full of tears. I didn't notice that I was crying too, until I felt something wet hit my cheek.

"Damon, I-I don't know what to say. I'm so terribly sorry, I… How were you able to hide this from me for so long? Why didn't you tell me before? You know you can tell me anything." Elena said, wiping my lone tear away. God, I loved her so much.

"I know Elena, but… You know how you were when you saw me only minutes earlier. I was afraid you were going to be so scared of me that you wouldn't talk to me or see me anymore, and… I wouldn't be able to live like that." I told her.

"Well, I have to say I almost shat my pants for a second. But then you told me your story and I could hear the pain in your voice and… I know that you won't ever hurt me." She told me with a smile. "Even though killing is wrong, I get you." She finished.

"Good. I love you." I said without thinking. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I felt the need to smack myself on the face.

"I love you too." Elena said. She probably thought I meant as a friend. But, since I started it, I have to finish.

"No, Elena. I really love you." I said. She seemed to freeze.

"What? You mean… for real?" Her eyes were comically huge. I was a bit scared when I answered her.

"Y-Yes."

"Oh my God." She breathed. "OH MY GOD!"

"What? Y-you don't think I'm a creep, do you?" She made me feel like a lovesick fool. Oh wait, I was a lovesick fool.

"A creep? Oh my God Damon, you don't know what I came here for, do you?"She asked. I was confused.

"What?"

"I came here to tell you that… that I love you too." She said with a smile. I couldn't contain my happiness at that moment. I lifted her off the floor, all my problems forgotten. I looked into her brown eyes and saw nothing but love. And then I did it. I did the one thing I've wanted to do for years. I kissed her, and felt like the luckiest guy in the world when she kissed me back. I've kissed so many girls before, but none of the kisses were like this. This was a demonstration of love. I felt light, I was in heaven.

When we pulled away, she was the first one to speak.

"That was amazing."

"Yes it was." I said.

"I can't believe you've always loved me and I never noticed. I mean, I thought I was on the friend zone, that's why I never tried to tell you anything." She told me.

"Will you believe me if I said that I thought literally the same?" I asked her, and she laughed.

"Actually, it's hard to think Damon Salvatore was afraid of talking to a girl." She said, giggling.

"I was scared because the girl was you." I said. "And don't tell anyone I said that, gotta keep my bad boy act." She laughed at that, and playfully slapped my arm. Then, she looked into my eyes in a serious way and said.

"I'm a mermaid." Wait, what?

"What?" I asked.

"You asked me to tell you what I was after you told me your story. So that's my story. I'm a mermaid." She said. What the fuck?

"What? How is that possible? How are mermaids even real?" I asked.

"Well, aren't vampires and werewolves real?" She actually had a good point.

"But how are you a mermaid? I mean you have legs and all. Are you sure you're okay?" I asked. This was too weird.

"Yes, Damon, I'm perfectly fine. And I have a tail when I want to. I'm able to morph into a mermaid any time I want." She said.

"How did you turn into a mermaid? I mean, were you always like this?"

"I was born like this. You know that I'm adopted and Katherine is my twin, right?" She asked.

"I do. Does that mean Katherine is one too?" I asked.

"Yes. Long story short: My biological grandfather is the king of this underwater kingdom called Azul. After my mom married my dad, dad's family kidnapped me and threatened my family, saying that if they didn't let them live in the palace, they would kill me and Katherine. So my mom turned us into humans, brought us to the land and separated us so our scents wouldn't be too strong. Recently, I was almost kidnapped at the school parking lot and shocked the attacker. I passed out and when I woke up my aunt Nadia explained everything to me. They turned me back into a mermaid and I've been learning how to use my powers ever since." She told me. Wow.

"So you're a mermaid _and _a royal. I always knew you were special." I told her, making her smile. "What are your powers like?"

"Well, like you saw, I can shock people. And I can control tides, make water move with my mind and swim as fast as a bullet." She said. She was more powerful than I thought.

"You're not one of those creatures who lure fishermen into their deaths to eat them are you?" I joked.

"Ew, Damon! No!" She giggled.

"Good to know."

We lied down on the grass and stayed like this for some time; being silent, just enjoying each other's company. The fact that Elena was a mermaid was bugging me to no end though. I needed to see it. Not that I didn't believe her. I did, but I was too fascinated with her being a mermaid, and I wasn't going to be able to sleep at night until I saw it with my own eyes.

"Can you show me?" I asked.

"Huh?" She replied.

"Your tail. Can you show me?"

"Not now, this place is full of people." She said.

"Let's leave, then." I offered. "My place?"

"Are you crazy? Your dad hunts everything that is considered supernatural, and last time I checked, we are considered supernatural. What do you think he is going to do when he sees a girl with a fish tail in the middle of your house?" Elena asked. Why is she always right?

"Can't we go to your place? Do your parents know about this?" I asked.

"Of course they do. But what will they say if I return home without Katherine?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, please. Do you really think Katherine is coming home with you tonight? She is probably banging Stefan right now." I said.

"Oh my God, Damon!" She shocked me again. I had to remember not to get on her bad side, because that freaking hurt.

"Ow!" I yelped and she laughed.

"You're such a crying baby! Big bad vampire Damon Salvatore can't take a shock!" She joked. "It won't kill you, will it?" She asked, now seriously.

"No, it won't." I answered her, making her relax. "The only things that can kill me are a wooden stake driven into my heart, being decapitated or having my heart ripped out from my chest." She cringed, probably remembering the scene from an hour ago.

"That's… violent." She mumbled.

"Yep." I answered. And then, an idea came up. "Why don't we go to the beach?"

"What?"

"Let's go to the beach, you can show me your true form there and we could hang out without the fear of someone watching us. And I need to show you these pretty cool powers."

She seemed to consider, then nodded.

"Okay."

"Awesome! Now let me carry you." I said.

"Um… fine." She replied, a bit confused.

When she let me carry her bridal style, I vamp sped to the beach, and set her down on the sand. When I looked at her, I expected to see a startled look on her face but she looked rather nauseous.

"Don't ever do that again! I feel like I'm going to throw up!" She complained.

I chuckled. "Sorry, princess."

"That's okay. I'm pretty dizzy, but that was still awesome!" Elena said.

"Why thank you. Now show me your boobs... Oops, your tail" I said, winking at the end. She shook her head at the joke.

"Why do I put up with you?" She asked.

"Because you love me." I said and she stuck her tongue at me. "Very mature." I told her.

"Do you want me to shock you again? I'll make sure to make it hurt this time." She asked playfully. No need, the last one had already hurt enough.

"No ma'am."

"Good boy." She said.

And then, she closed her eyes and seemed to concentrate. Moments later, her whole body was glowing. It was so bright I had to close my eyes for a moment. And then, when the light dimmed, I opened my eyes and caught her before she fell to the ground.

"Thank you. Can you put me down now, please?" She asked. I looked down and God, she was beautiful. The moonlight illuminated her olive skin, and her beautiful doe eyes were shining. I put her down and looked at her. She was amazing. Her purple tail glowed and it was so long I think Elena got at least 5 feet taller; or longer since she couldn't stand up.

"So, you're not too freaked out, are you?" She asked. Well I'm a vampire, it would take a lot more than that to freak me out.

"Not at all. This is amazing. You're so beautiful." I replied.

She took off her dress and rolled on the sand until she hit the water. Then, she called me, and when I approached her she asked me to hold her hand. I did and next thing I knew I was in the water and she was laughing so hard she was crying.

"Are you out of your mind?" I asked her. She ignored me.

"I have my own version of vamp speed, you know." She said, making me frown.

"I'm guessing you have quick reflexes. Now put your hands on my waist and hold tight. Watch the tail." She added.

I did as she said and next thing I knew, Elena was swimming really fast, even for me.

"Wow!" I exclaimed. When I looked at her, she looked pretty proud of herself.

"I did it." She gasped. "I actually did it!"

"I'm guessing you've never tried this before."

"I haven't, the only time I swam with a tail was in Nadia's pool and I didn't try to go fast!" She said cheerfully.

She looked so beautiful and so happy. We stared at each other's lips for a couple seconds until I attacked her mouth. I had thought that kiss at the Lockwood estate was amazing but this one was indescribable. Elena was moaning and my cock got so hard it actually hurt. She started unbuttoning my shirt and suddenly, Elena was glowing again, and next thing I knew she was back in human form. She wrapped her legs around my torso and started kissing my neck, and then my abs, my stomach, until she submerged and I saw her unbutton my pants. She kissed my cock and emerged, kissing my mouth again. Her legs were spread again, hugging my torso. I took the opportunity to enter her. I felt amazing at that moment. The thrusts got faster and faster, until she screamed "FUCK, DAMON!" and moaned loudly. We reached our orgasms at the same time, and then I pulled out and kissed her again. That was the best experience of my life.

"That was amazing" She said.

"Wow."

"I love you." She breathed.

"I love you." I replied.

"Hey, does that mean we are together now?" She asked, a bit unsure.

"Yes. Would you, Miss Gilbert, like to be my girlfriend?"

"Yes, Mister Salvatore." She said, and we kissed again.

"We should go back to the sand now." I added, laughing.

"Yeah, and to the Lockwood estate. Stefan and Katherine are probably wondering where we are." Elena said.

"Everyone is going to look at us as if we're aliens, we're all wet. Especially me, you took your dress off before you got in the water." I said.

"Forgive me for being smart." She smirked. She was spending too much time with me.

We went back to the Lockwood estate and found Katherine and Stefan kissing near the gardens.

"Sorry for cockblocking, but we need to go home if we want to live to see another day." I told Stefan, laughing.

"Ugh, Damon." Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Calm down, lover boy. Miss Katherine here isn't going to disappear." I said.

"Why are you both wet?" Katherine asked, and then smirked. "Oh, I see." She looked at Elena, making her blush.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Katherine kissed Stefan's cheek. Elena looked at me and kissed my cheek as well.

"Bye!" She said.

"Bye, Lena!" I answered.

After they left, Stefan looked at me with a serious face.

"Damon, there's something strange going on with the Lockwoods." He said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Let's go home, I'll tell you in the way."

In the car, Stefan spoke.

"Kat and I were talking when we heard something break. Tyler had gotten into a fight at the party. He was really violent. Almost… inhumanly violent. I tried to stop the fight, and when I grabbed Tyler, his eyes were completely yellow."

"You don't think that-"

"Think about it, Damon. The anger issues, the yellow eyes, the strength." Stefan said.

"Stefan, don't you think that if Tyler was a werewolf we would've already noticed?" I asked. This couldn't be possible. Mystic Falls was more mystic than I ever imagined.

"Maybe he hasn't triggered his curse yet." Stefan said.

"Do you think his family is working for _them_?"

"I have no idea."


	5. An Almost Perfect Night

**A/N: Hey guys, here's the new chapter. I'm sorry it's a bit short, but this is just a filler and it needed to be on the story. I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing, favoriting and following the story and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Until next time, xo Clara.**

KATHERINE

After I made Elena go talk to Damon, I started to think about everything that has happened in my life until today. I couldn't believe how much my life has changed in such a short amount of time, and how I spent my whole life not having the slightest idea of what I was. To be honest, it was actually nice having a chance to have another sister, and even other parents. Don't get me wrong, I loved my mom to death, but sometimes, actually most of the times, I felt like I was being neglected. Ever since I was little, it looked like she always liked Rose more than she liked me; that's why I was never really close to her. It got worse after she divorced my dad and married this new guy. And my relationship with Rose wasn't the best either. She had never been very nice with me, and she even said I wasn't her sister once. Now I understand why, but it was still a bad move. Those things made me feel unwanted more times than I can count, that's why I tried not to get attached to anyone. I didn't really like to admit that, because I'm not the sentimental type, but after I met Elena Nadia and Isobel something changed. The three of them treated me so differently and I felt loved for once. And speaking of great feelings, let's not forget to mention Stefan Salvatore. The guy was perfect. He was sweet, gorgeous, polite and funny. He also had those green eyes that made me want to get lost in them. And that smell of his, oh my gosh. It was sexy, manly and it drove me completely insane. I was thinking about how flawless he was when he approached me again.

"Elena left to look for Damon." He said.

"I know. I'm the one who told her to." I replied.

"So you noticed that too?" He laughed. "I used to date your sister but we weren't that great together so…" He didn't finish. It got a bit awkward, and I could hear him mutter a _"smart move, Stefan."_

"Oh." I said, trying not to laugh.

"So, where are you from, Katherine?" He asked.

"Call me Kat." I smirked. "And I'm from Richmond."

"You're probably wondering what we do in this boring town then." He said.

"Actually, yes." I laughed.

"Well, we don't do much. We just hang out at the grill, which is like the only bar in this town, and go to founder's parties like this one literally every week. I don't even know how they find so many things to celebrate about." He told me.

"Wow." I snickered.

"Yeah, it's ridiculous."

"So you and Elena go to the same school?" I asked, already knowing the answer. If there was only one bar in this town, there couldn't be more than one school.

"Yeah, we're both seniors." He said. "Hey, what are we doing here sitting when there's music over there?" He added. Fucking finally.

"I was asking myself the same thing." I answered.

We went to the dance floor and Crazy Stupid Love by Cheryl Cole was playing. I started dancing and he grabbed me by the waist from behind and started dancing too. When I looked at him, he had his eyes closed and he looked so sexy I could barely handle it.

"You smell amazing." He whispered in my ear after a while, and I literally thought I was going to collapse. What was he doing to me? His touches were special, one better than the other, and they turned me on.

The music went on and I let him turn my body around. When I looked at his face, he kissed me. It was a-freaking-mazing. Best kiss ever, no doubt. It was sweet and sensual and made me never want to pull away.

Unfortunately, we pulled away abruptly, the sound of something breaking startling both of us. It was the Lockwood boy and some other guy. They were fighting and it was getting too violent. Tyler had the guy pinned down to the floor and was punching his face repeatedly. I was starting to get nervous. It looked like Lockwood was killing the boy, Jake, according to the people who were yelling nearby.

Next thing I knew, Stefan was running to the fighting boys and trying to stop them from killing themselves. He seemed to be strong. He pulled Tyler away from Jake, but Tyler used a piece of broken glass to hurt Stefan. I ran to them, thinking that maybe I could help by shocking Tyler or something. But when I reached them, Stefan had pulled the glass out of his palm and knocked the Lockwood boy out.

I pulled Stefan's hand. "Are you okay?" I asked him.

"I'm fine." He said.

"But Tyler cut your palm with that broken glass, there was blood, I saw it!" I told him. And there was still a bit of blood marring his skin.

"He missed. It's not my blood." He rubbed his palm on his pants and wiped the blood from it. "See?" He said.

"No, I saw it. The glass cut your hand and-" He didn't let me finish.

"No, really. I'm okay."

I looked at him in shock. Was I imagining things? What the fuck was happening?

"Don't worry, alright?" He said. "And just for the record, I really liked being with you tonight." And with that, he kissed me again. His kisses kept getting better and better.

And we had to pull away because someone interrupted us. Again. What's wrong with people? Do they know no privacy?

"Sorry for cockblocking, but we need to go home if we want to live to see another day." Damon told Stefan.

"Ugh, Damon." Stefan rolled his eyes, something I wanted to do as well.

"Calm down, lover boy. Miss Katherine here isn't going to disappear." Damon said.

"Why are you both wet?" I asked Elena, studying her. She was soaked and when I finished asking my question she blushed and gave me a look that said_ shut up_. I quickly realized what was going on.

"Oh, I see." I said with a smirk, making Elena blush even more, if that was possible. Things got really awkward then, so I decided to call it a night.

"I'll see you tomorrow." I said, kissing Stefan's cheek.

Elena did the same thing with Damon and then we left.

"So, how was it?" I asked.

"What?"

"Don't play stupid. You know what I'm talking about." I said. She looked at me for a second and then spoke.

"It was great. Who knew Damon felt the same way as I did?"

"Um… everyone?" I told her.

"Was it really that obvious?" She asked.

"God, yes." I snickered. She laughed a little and then looked at me.

"Enough talking about me. How was _your _night with Stef?" She smirked.

"It was amazing. He's sweet, polite and really sexy. I'm so glad you dumped him." We both laughed at that.

We were already at Elena's home when her phone ringed. It was Nadia, and she put it on speakerphone.

"Hello?" Elena said.

"Hey, Elena. Could you and Katherine stop by my house tomorrow? We have some serious stuff to talk about. Things are about to get pretty ugly and we need to find a way to protect ourselves." Nadia said, ruining my perfect night. Elena looked at me with a scared face and I answered Nadia.

"Yes, of course. We'll see you tomorrow." I hang up.

"What do you think that's happening?" I asked Elena.

"I wish I had an idea." She said. "But let's not worry about this until tomorrow. Good night Katherine. She said, hiding herself under the sheets, probably trying to hide her fear from me. I decided to leave her alone.

"Good night." I told her and turned the light off, wishing I knew what was going on. What did Nadia mean when she said that things were about to get ugly. And _what_ was Stefan? I'm sure I saw the cut on his hand. He was hiding something, and I was going to find out what.

**A/N: I'd like to thank TeamSteferine for her amazing support. Check out her story, Frozen Midnight :)**


	6. Training

**A/N: Hello, guys! First of all, I'm sorry for taking so long to update, I got sick and had so many things to do... Anyway, chapter 6 is here. I'd like to thank each and everyone of you for your support, you're all awesome. Hope you like the chapter, xo Clara :)**

ELENA

When I was sure I finally had the perfect night and that I had gotten a break from all the shit that was happening in my life, I got that stupid call from Nadia. It seems like I can't have a moment of peace nowadays.

However, I wasn't going to let that single call ruin my day. I still couldn't believe that Damon actually cared about me and I had spent a long time unsure of his feelings for me (and of mine for him, to be honest but apparently my feelings got sorted the minute he told me he loved me), thinking I was on the friend zone. I knew having sex with him instantly hadn't been the best idea, but at the moment I was so overwhelmed by all the feelings that I wasn't in control of my actions.

I was still thinking about what happened when my phone buzzed again. This time it was Caroline.

_We didn't see you for the rest of the night, what happened? _

**Weren't you drunk?**

_I was but apparently I wasn't drunk enough. I feel sober already. Now what happened?_

**You wouldn't believe me if I told you. **

_Try me._

**I'd rather tell you personally, anyway.**

_UGH ELENA! EITHER YOU TELL ME NOW OR I WILL SPEND THE REST OF THE NIGHT SENDING MESSAGES TO YOU._

**Ever heard of 'do not disturb' mode? Or I could just switch the phone off. **Deciding I had already messed with her enough, I sent her _the_ text.

**Damon and are a thing now.**

_W H A T? OH MY GOD! OMG OMG OMG OMG I ALWAYS KNEW! HAVE YOU TOLD BONNIE ABOUT THIS?_

**No, I haven't. I'm gonna tell her 2morrow tho.**

_You better. Night xx_

**Night xo**

I set my phone on the bedside table, closed my eyes and let sleep take over.

* * *

><p>The sound of my phone buzzing loudly on my bedside table woke me up. I Was so groggy at the moment that I didn't even look at the caller's ID.<p>

"Hello?" I answered with a yawn.

"Where are you?" Nadia shouted into the phone, startling me. "It's two in the afternoon and you haven't showed up yet." Oh my God, is that the time?

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! Katherine and I went to a party last night and got home pretty late, when you called us at like two in the morning we were just getting ready for bed. But we'll be there as soon as possible." I ended the call and pulled Katherine's blankets.

"Kat. Katherine. KATHERINE!" I shouted. She was worse than me to wake up.

"Hmm..." She mumbled, but didn't open her eyes. I decided to turn the radio on the loudest volume. Luckily a heavy metal song was playing, so she woke up with a start.

"Finally. You sleep like a freaking rock."

"What do you want?" She asked grumpily. Apparently she wasn't a morning person.

Must be a family thing.

"We're late for our meeting with Nadia." I told her, making her groan.

"Do we really need to go?" She grimaced.

"Unfortunately yes. I don't want to go either." I sighed.

We quickly got ready and when we got downstairs to grab something to eat, my parents and Jeremy were eating as well. For the looks of it Katherine and I hadn't been the only ones to go to bed late the night before. It took me a while to realize that Jeremy and my dad were looking at us, their faces showing their shock.

"Oh, sorry boys. I forgot to tell you both that Elena's sister was going to spend the weekend with us." Mom said. Silence filled the room after that, until Jeremy spoke.

"Um... Which one of you is Elena?" He asked.

Okay. I knew that Katherine and I were perfect carbon copies of each other but you could tell the difference between us. At least I could. Katherine's hair was longer and she liked it very curly. I had bangs and liked to leave it a bit straighter than hers. Not too straight though. And Katherine's clothes were sexier than the ones I used.

But I forgot that we both decided to tie our hair in a bun. And that Katherine was wearing my clothes.

"Um, guys, this is my sister Katherine." I said, pointing at Kat, who waved at them.

"Hello." She said.

"You guys look exactly alike. It's creepy." Jeremy said.

"It's called an identical twin, Jeremy." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, but still... Even for identical twins you guys just-"

"Quit blabbering, Jeremy. It's nice to meet you, Katherine. Welcome to our home." My dad smiled at her. I noticed that Katherine got more comfortable and happier after that.

"It's nice to meet you too. And thank you, sir." She politely said.

"You don't need to call me Sir. Just call me Grayson." Dad told her.

"Okay." She smiled.

"And I'm Jeremy, Elena's brother." My little brother told her, and Kat shook his hand.

The rest of the brunch went pretty well. My family loved Katherine and told us she's always welcome at our home and could stay at our house for as long as she wants. After the meal, we got in the car and drove to Nadia's.

* * *

><p>"Finally. I was starting to think you had gotten lost." Nadia said when she opened the door for us.<p>

"What's so important that you had to call us here?" Katherine asked Nadia.

"You should sit." Nadia told us, pointing to the living room.

We got settled in the couch and Nadia started talking.

"Well, I think you already know that this world is a mysterious place. And you probably know that mermaids aren't the only 'supernatural' creatures, as humans like to call us, that exist." Yes, I already knew that, but apparently Kat didn't.

"What? What other creatures are there?" She asked.

"Creatures like witches, vampires, shape-shifters, werewolves... There are more but I'm not here to teach you about the supernatural." Nadia said.

"Creepy." Katherine said.

"Anyway, I called you both here to discuss some things with you. As I said, there are other creatures in the world, and they can be very dangerous. Some of them have no compassion, no mercy and will kill you without even blinking." She told us, and the way she said that sent chills down my spine.

"And..." Katherine said.

"And we just found out that some of those creatures are working for John's family. They are making deals with vampires and werewolves, and we have to watch our backs. Especially the two of you." Katherine and I groaned at that. But the word 'werewolf' made me remember what Damon told me about his mom. Were the werewolves who chased us the same ones that killed his mom? And did Damon know any other vampires that could be involved in this?

"Can I just move to a place where no one would find me?" Katherine asked.

"That's not how we deal with our problems. And they would find you anyway. There's a thing called a locator spell, it can find you wherever you are." Nadia said.

"So what are we going to do?" I asked, a bit shakily. To say I was scared was the understatement of the year.

"Well, we have to look for allies and train you so you can defend yourselves. That means you will be training today." Nadia answered. Looking for allies wouldn't be so hard, one of my best friends was a witch and my... _Boyfriend_ was a vampire. It was so weird calling him my boyfriend.

"Okay." I sighed. Katherine didn't look very pleased either. We were exhausted after we trained the last time and the pressure didn't make it any easier. It was kinda good finding out what I was able to do though. I didn't feel so defenseless then.

Nadia's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Well, shall we start?"

* * *

><p>We were again at the huge pool area of Nadia's house.<p>

"Okay. So today we're learning how to fight properly. You have some options. You can either shock your enemy if they are grabbing you and you're not strong enough to make them release you, you can also hit them with water, and make sure it's strong enough to hurt or knock them out. And you can use the water to capture them, for example, a water ball, and if you want, you can send an electric current in the water, it will get to them. Those things might knock them out for some hours, long enough for us to arrest them or banish them." Nadia explained.

"How are we even going to be able to learn those things in time?" Katherine asked. I was asking myself the same thing.

"With proper training, you'll be able to do those things in a couple months."

"MONTHS? Can we even wait that long?" I asked Nadia.

"They won't do anything now. They need to find more allies and make plans. We have a spy on their side that keeps us informed." She answered.

"That's good ."

"Alright. You already know how to shock people so we'll work on the telekinesis today. Don't worry, we'll do the easy part, you'll just try to hit the target with water. Okay?"

"Okay." Me and Katherine answered at the same time.

"Who wants to start?" She asked.

Seeing that no one had answered, Nadia grabbed me by the arm.

"You start." I groaned, but complied.

"How do I do this?" I had learned to move water the last time but trying to hit a target was too much for me.

"Well, you know how to move water, right?" Nadia asked the both of us.

"Yes." We answered.

"Okay. So I want you to make water float in the air."

"I think I can do that." Katherine said. After we lifted some water, Nadia continued.

"Alright. Now, you use the energy you're spending to hold the water up in the air to throw the water in the target's direction."

I tried the first time and I ended up dropping the water on my feet. The same thing happened on the second, third and fourth time I tried. And I finally did it at the fifth try. But the water didn't hit the red dot in the middle of the target, it hit the wall. It was something, though.

"Finally. I thought you weren't going to be able to do that today." Katherine rolled her eyes.

"Well, yeah, if it's so easy why don't you try it?" I asked her.

"Well, watch and learn." She bragged, making me roll my eyes. She lifted the water and when she was ready to throw it at the target, the water fell on her feet. I started laughing hysterically.

"That's not funny." She pouted.

"Oh come on you big baby, try it again." I said. She tried and tried until the water hit the wall. After that she looked pretty proud of herself.

"Finally, I thought you weren't going to be able to do that today." I mocked her. At that, she stuck her tongue at me.

"Close enough." Nadia said, stifling a laugh. Well, I'm sorry that I was turned into a human and didn't learn how to be a mermaid and control my powers, I thought.

"Okay, what now?" Katherine asked.

"What, you think that just because you threw it on the wall you're ready to move on to the next step? Keep on training, and only stop when you hit the target two times in a row!" Nadia told us.

"I don't like to be ordered around." Katherine whined.

"Well, if you want to live, you'll have to." Nadia said.

"Are you trying to help us or threatening us?" Katherine asked, rolling her eyes.

"Less talking, more training." Our aunt said, she was annoying when she was all business. She was too serious. But then again, our lives were in danger, so I completely understood her.

Four hours and a lot of wall hits later, we managed to hit the bullseye.

"And we're done for today." Nadia said.

"Thank God!" Katherine exclaimed, making Nadia scowl and snicker at the same time. If that was possible.

"Remember that you have to be here on Tuesday." Nadia said.

"What about school? Homework? And I'm not staying at Elena's house forever you know, I do have a life of my own." Katherine argued.

"I know, but you have a car, don't you?" It wasn't a question. Nadia gave Kat a sarcastic smile, and Katherine rolled her eyes. Suddenly, we heard a car horn outside.

"That's my parents. Well, I guess I'll go home now. Thank you Elena, for letting me stay in your home for the weekend. Hope you can come to mine the next one. And tell Stefan I really want to see him again." She smirked, making me laugh.

"Okay, Kat. Drive safe." I told my sister, hugging her.

"Bye, Nadia." Kat said, and left after Nadia waved goodbye.

* * *

><p>Almost two hours later, I was back in Mystic Falls. I decided to stop by Bonnie's house and tell her the news.<p>

"You're a WHAT?" To say that my friend was dumbfounded was an understatement.

"A… mermaid? I know this sounds weird as shit, but it's the truth, I swear." I told her.

"You aren't shitting with me because I told you I was a witch are you?"

"No, I'm telling the truth! Look." I looked at the glass that she was holding and concentrated on making the water move inside it. After a moment, the glass started shaking, and she looked at me, baffled.

"Wow." She breathed.

"I know."

"This is crazy. I knew you were different than a normal human but I would never in a million years think you were a mermaid." She said. "But how are you going to deal with the psychos that are trying to kill you?" She asked.

"Well, I've been training. I'm not ready but I think I can improvise if someone attacks me." I said.

"Well, good luck." She said, and then laughed.

"What?" I asked her.

"It's nothing, it's just that… I thought _I _was the weirdo." That made me glare at her.

"You're still the weirdo." I said, playfully.

"Well, I'm not the human-fish hybrid here." She joked.

"Oh, shut up!" I said, laughing as well. "Anyway, I didn't come here to tell you just that. There's something else." Bonnie looked at me curiously.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Guess who kissed Damon last night." I smiled.

"No. Way. OH MY GOD ELENA! I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU AND DAMON LIKED EACH OTHER! I knew it for _ages._" She squeaked.

"Yeah, apparently even Katherine figured out before me and Damon."

"It was obvious. I don't even know how you took so long." Bonnie said, snickering. "So are you guys together now?" She asked.

"I think so."

"Is he a good kisser?" She asked, smirking. I blushed.

"Yes. He's amazing." I answering, smiling when I thought about his kisses."

"Well, about time." She said with a grin.

* * *

><p>It was already late at night when I heard something knocking on my bedroom's window. It was Damon.<p>

"Oh my God, Damon! You could've knocked on, I don't know, the _front door_?"

"I could, but I don't think your parents would be okay with that, it's almost 11 o'clock." He said. "So I figured I could climb that tree and get to your room.

"How old school of you." I said, snickering. "Come in."

"How_ you _doin'?" He asked me.

"Why hello, Joey Tribbiani." I said, grinning.

"I would call you my Rachel, but I know you like her better with Ross." He said, and then kissed me.

"Hmmm, I could get used to this." I said, smiling against his lips.

"I'm so glad this is happening." He said.

"Me too." I answered.

"I need to tell you something." His face was serious as he said that.

"What?"

"Stefan and I think that Tyler is a werewolf."

"What the fuck? Are you sure?" I asked him.

"Well, Stefan told me that while we were away, Tyler got into a fight with Jake and he tried to stop the fight. When he did, he looked at Tyler's eyes and they were yellow." Damon said.

"That's not possible, Tyler's eyes are brown." I said.

"Exactly. You see, when werewolves are angry their wolf side comes to surface, so their eyes turn yellow like when they shift." He explained.

"Oh my. Is there anyone normal in Mystic Falls?" I asked.

My phone started ringing then. Oh God. Late night phone calls are never good. The one from the night before was an example of those. I picked up and Damon went to the bathroom.

"Hello?"

"Elena? This is Caroline's mom. Have you seen her today?"

"Um, no. She texted me last night and we haven't seen each other since then. Why?"

"She got drunk last night and was hungover earlier today, so she went to the drugstore to buy some painkillers. But she hasn't returned yet, and I tried calling her phone but it goes straight to voicemail. Do you have any idea of where she could be?" Liz Forbes, town's sheriff and Caroline's mom asked me. I was shaking. What if Caroline was kidnapped? What is she was hurt? Or worse, what if she was kidnapped and killed because of _me_?

"No, Mrs. Forbes." I answered, my voice cracking.

"That's okay, Elena. If you hear anything, call me, okay?" Liz said. I could tell she wanted to cry.

"Okay. I'm sure she will appear Mrs. Forbes." I said, trying to comfort her and myself. "Call me if you find anything."

"Okay. Have a good night Elena." She said into the phone.

"You too, ma'am."

I ended the call and Damon returned. He looked at my face and frowned.

"You look pale. What happened?" He asked. I looked at him and a tear fell from my eye.

"Caroline's missing."

**A/N: What do you think happened to her?**


	7. Finding Things Out

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry for taking so long to update again. I didn't really know how to finish this chapter, and on top of that, finals week is coming so I'm studying like crazy. Good news: My summer vacation starts on Dec. 10 and I'll be free to write as much as I want! So, quicker updates are coming :) I wanted to apologize because this chapter is really short. It's just a filler but it contains a lot of information. Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone for Favoriting/Following/Reviewing my story and as always, special thanks to TeamSteferine for her help and support, and you guys should check her awesome story :) I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, and if you could, please leave a review so I can see how you all like it so far, and you can give me suggestions as well. Lots of love; xo Clara :)**

STEFAN

I started to look into Lockwood's life the day after the party. No, I wasn't stalking him, I was just... Making sure he wasn't a threat. He was probably a werewolf and werewolves were hardly good guys. I mean, they killed my mom. Of course dad was to blame just as much, he chose to risk mom's life for that stupid hunting hobby; but the werewolves shouldn't have done that as well. The thing was, we needed someone to blame, and we thought it was better to have the werewolves as enemies than our own father, even though he was a complete asshole. He treated me well and everything but I simply hated the way he looked at Damon, and treated him. I didn't know why he hated Damon so much.

"Found anything?" I heard my brother's voice coming from the door. We had stolen some archives from the Lockwood estate, and a family book. Damon was going through the archives and I was on the books. Who in the world had a family book? That was so... Middle age-ish. I'd started reading it earlier that day but hadn't found anything. At least not yet.

"No." I said, sighing. He shook his head at me.

"Oh, Stefan." He sighed. "I thought you were going to be useful."

"Yeah? Well, where have you been, lover boy? I spent all day looking into this shit. You on the other hand left to see Elena." I snapped at him.

"What, are you jealous?"

"Ugh Damon, you already know Elena and I aren't anything but friends."

"I see. And yeah, why should I worry about you and Elena if you got your eyes on her twin sister, huh?" He smirked, making me roll my eyes.

"I knew that sooner or later you would tease me about Katherine." I said. He smiled, but then his face dropped.

"Anyway, I came here to tell you that I was at Elena's when sheriff Forbes called her telling her that Caroline was missing." He said. My eyes went wide and I froze. No.

"Caroline's what?" I asked, dazed. It wasn't possible.

"You heard me. No one's seen her since this morning. She was supposed to return home quickly, but she didn't. And there isn't any possibility that she might have run away." He said. "Well, of course not, I mean, it's Caroline, she wouldn't run away without winning Miss Mystic Falls first." He added, snorting.

"Do you think it has something to do with, you know…" He knew what I meant. And judging by his look…

"Yes." He said, quickly.

"So, what are we going to do?" I asked him.

"I don't know." He sighed. "I know this has something to do with vampires and werewolves and all that shit because she vanished without a trace and no one even saw anything suspicious. And if someone was kidnapping her for the money they would've called by now. Besides, I found out some things about the sheriff that I want to show you."

"What did you find out?"

"Well, going through the Lockwood archives, I found some pretty useful stuff. You know those animal attacks they always talk about and we always thought that all of them had something to do with vampires?" Damon asked me. I could see where he was going.

"Yes."

"Guess what. The Lockwood archives have many pictures of those attacks. Some of the victims were completely drained of blood and only had a shredded neck, but a lot of them were a hundred percent destroyed, and the scene had body parts everywhere to be found. As long as I know, vampires don't tear people apart like that." he said, matter-of-factly.

"Okay, so that proves the Lockwoods are werewolves, but what does that have to do with Sheriff Forbes?" I asked him.

"Think, Stefan. The sheriff knows everything that's going on in this town. She's the one that finds the dead bodies, and she makes sure to never take any pictures or let any reporters come to the scene of their deaths." He told me. Now it was making sense.

"Wait, so you're telling me that the sheriff knows about this?" I asked him.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you." He affirmed. "Besides, I found something else."

"What?"

"This." He gave me a folder that had 'council info' written on it. I opened it and there were pictures of... Sheriff Forbes. And Mayor Lockwood and his wife. And Elena's parents. And the Fells. And Dad. Okay, what the fuck?

"What is this?" I asked him.

"Since you are too lazy to actually read it, I'm going to tell you." He rolled his eyes. "This contains all information about the founders' council. The council was founded along with the town, by the same people that founded the town, the founding families. The council's official purpose was to celebrate the foundation of Mystic Falls and to gather all citizens to parties where they could socialize. Well, you know about those parties because we have them now. What you didn't know was that the actual purpose of the founder's council was to hunt vampires. According to these files, vampires were already a major problem in Mystic Falls back then."

"Wait, so more people knew about vampires?" I asked Damon.

"Yes. And the thing is: The heads of each founding family got their kids into the business, and the kids got _their_ kids into it, and it went on until today. All the founding families, including our dad, Elena's parents, Caroline's mom and the Lockwoods, have an arsenal of weapons that can kill vampires. But apparently, the Lockwoods haven't told the others what they are, because there are only reports of vampires and a few witches being killed. They hid what they are from the rest of the council, so people wouldn't go against, or worse, _after_ them." He finished.

"So, wait. You're telling me that the Lockwoods have kept their little secret from the other founding families for almost two hundred years and no one noticed anything wrong with them?" I asked.

"Yes. And all that explains why I think that Caroline's kidnappers are vampires."

"Wow." I breathed.

"Yep. Mystic Falls. Who knew the name suited the town so well?" Damon said with a snort.

"Do you think Caroline's dead?" I asked him. He looked at me with concern in his eyes.

"I don't know."

"We have to do something." I said.

"We do, but _what_?"

* * *

><p>I was ready for bed when I received a text from Katherine.<p>

_Hello, handsome._

**Why, hello. What makes you contact me on this beautiful Sunday night?**

_Wanna come to Richmond next weekend? :)_

**Well, it depends. Who's gonna be my tour guide?**

_The gorgeous brunette that's talking to you._

**Okay then. When should I and said gorgeous brunette meet?**

_How about Saturday at 2pm?_

**Great :D**

_Let me tell you something._

**What?**

_I'm not a very good tour guide._

**I'm not that into sightseeing anyway ;)**

I switched the phone off. Katherine was sure something. She was smart, free and charming. I was starting to like her. To be honest, I couldn't wait until Saturday, which was weird because I've only known her for like two days. But being with her was fun and I needed some fun after everything that was going on.

**A/N: Next chapter will be longer and have A LOT of action, so stay tuned! :)**


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